Chef Ken's Portuguese chicken baked rice recipe!

On CBC Toronto, Chef Ken was joined by Rachel Tong and Jamie Fung to cook an iconic Hong Kong diner dish: Macau-style Portuguese chicken baked rice.

Watching the dish get made, immediately the sounds and smells of a Hong Kong diner (or cha chaan teng) rushed in.

Meals are eaten pretty quickly, so there's always the thunking noises of dishes being dropped off and then the clanging of them and utensils being picked up. Rachel makes a red bean freeze, and other classic drinks include a coffee-tea mix, lemon tea, or soy milk.

We got really hungry watching the segment and bugged Chef for the recipe. Now it's available for everyone to enjoy!

The dish has two components: a base of fried rice, and a chicken curry layered on top. They come together beautifully when baked in the oven.

You can marinate the chicken at least two hours ahead of time, but planning ahead by marinating overnight will lead to the tastiest results.

For the fried rice, you can use any day-old rice, and Papa Yau's Chicken Fried Rice or Shiitake Fried Rice work brilliantly in this recipe too.

 

Macau-style Portuguese Chicken Baked Rice

4 servings

Prep time: 3 to 24 hours

Cooking time: 60 minutes

For the Chicken

4 chicken thighs with skin 

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped 

1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of cooking wine, such as Shaoxiao 

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon of turmeric 

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon for curry powder

For the Sauce 

1 potato, cubed

2 onions, cubed

1 small carrot, cubed

1 can of coconut cream (400 ml)

2 cups of chicken stock

½ tablespoon of curry powder

1 tablespoon of turmeric 

½ tablespoon of paprika 

Salt to taste

For the Slurry 

1 tablespoon of starch 

1 tablespoon of water

For the Fried Rice

Papa Yau’s Fried Rice or any day-old rice!

Instructions

• For the chicken: Debone chicken thighs and cut into 1-2 inch cubes.
• Place cubes into a bag, and add garlic, ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, turmeric, salt, and curry powder in and massage into chicken pieces.
• Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. 

• For the sauce: Cut potatoes, onions, and carrots into 1-inch chunks.
• Sear the chicken pieces in a pot until golden. 
• Add onions to the same pot and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
• Do the same for potatoes and carrots, adding each separately and cook until golden.
• Strain any excess oil left from frying and discard.
• Lower the heat and add the spices to gently toast them.
• When aromatic, add garlic and ginger and stir slowly for 1 minute. Add the stock, and half of the coconut cream and gently cook until reduced slightly. You want the chicken to be cooked, potatoes and carrots are soft.
• Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch with cold water and pour it into the sauce to thicken slightly.  

• For the Papa Yau's fried rice: Cook from frozen, do not defrost.
• Heat up a non-stick pan on high heat.
• Cut flavoured oil (smaller pack) and squeeze into the pan. Heat until oil begins to smoke.
• Cut the rice pack open and pour it into the pan. Toss or move the rice around to coat evenly. Cook on high for 90 seconds, toss or mix half-way to fry all sides of the rice.
• Open the flavour pack (bigger pack) and push the rice to one side. Pour contents into the pan. Wait 15 seconds and begin to toss the pan and mix.
• When the rice is coated with the flavour mix and the soy is beginning to char on the rice (approximately 1 minute), it's ready.

• For assembly: Turn the oven on to broil. Using an oven safe container, add a layer of fried rice and spoon a good amount of sauce on top.
• Place on the middle rack until a soft crust forms and the surface begins to blacken.